Sometimes it takes patience and perseverance for improvements to come to one's neighborhood. After waiting for 25 years, residents living in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Area finally got the park they wanted. Although phase I has been completed residents look forward to seeing the second phase of park development begin. Phase II of The Beacon Hill Linear Park is scheduled to begin construction in late 2013, thanks largely in part to the efforts of City Councilman Diego Bernal, who secured funds for phase II through the city's 2012-2017 bond fund. Community leaders spoke at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of Phase I of the Beacon Hill Linear Park. John Karlis, Vice President of the Beacon Hill Area Neighborhood Association, spoke of the park's community garden and Cosima ...
The Active Living Council (ALC) of San Antonio was formed in 2010, in order to discuss ways to increase physical activity within the city. In accord with the National Physical Activity Plan, the council produced the Active Living Plan for a Healthier San Antonio. This plan was endorsed by Mayor Julian Castro, and will serve as a guide for policy changes which would enable citizens living in San Antonio, to become more active. The ALC works in collaboration with the San Antonio Mayor's Fitness Council. The Active Living Plan is available in English and in Spanish. Read the Active Living Council of San Antonio's 2012 policy recommendations to the city ...
Although children in Texas are required to have 135 minutes of physical activity per week, children from the Austin Independent School District (AISD) were only getting 90 minutes of physical education. In order to fill this gap, the Active Play Project has provided educators with a way to teach subjects like math, while simultaneously allowing children to participate in physical activity. The Active Play Project gives kids an opportunity to learn while having fun and staying active by providing school teachers with a curriculum to incorporate physical activity into their lessons throughout the day. Colorful paint is used to turn a school play yard into an outdoor, active classroom. Dr. Andrew Springer from the University of Texas School of Public Health developed the program ...
The ActOut campaign in Virginia, an initiative of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, is raising awareness about the need for more physical activity among youth.
Currently at least 1 in 4 youth in Virginia are overweight or obese and the problem is even more grave among Latino children. Health officials in Virginia worry that 1 in 2 Latino children born today will develop diabetes if action is not taken to reverse the obesity epidemic. Although 60 minutes of daily physical activity is recommended for children, 4 out of 5 kids do not meet this recommendation. This is why the ActOut campaign is calling all school districts in Virginia to provide at least 30 minutes of physical education to children. The ActOut Campaign encourages its supporters to get the word out to friends ...
One of the top five priorities of the Bexar County Community Health Improvement Plan is to promote Healthy Eating and Active Living. Increasing the availability of healthier food options, meeting with county officials to promote strategies in the Active Living Plan, promoting the adoption of Safe Routes to School programs, and promoting policies to support infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, are all examples of policy recommendations featured in the plan. This plan was organized by the Bexar County Community Health Collaborative and the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District in an effort to serve as a framework for creating a healthier county. Recommendations for partnerships, and ways to take on an active role, to improve the health of the community are also ...
The Brownsville Commission and planning department are working with the National Park Service and city partners to develop a Hike and Bike Master plan. The goal of this initiative is to create a more pedestrian and bike friendly environment for the city. Brownsville is also working to create an extension of an existing trail that would connect three historic battlefields. Community members are invited to participate in the development of the Hike and Bike Master plan by sharing their ideas, before the final draft of the plan is completed. Read "City rolls out conceptual master hike & bike plan for trails" for more ...
The Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program is a school based physical activity and nutrition program that promotes healthy food choices among children. After CATCH was implemented at schools in El Paso and Austin, Texas the program demonstrated that it had the potential to lower obesity in children. Recently, CATCH was recognized by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for advancing policies and environmental strategies to control obesity. It has been adopted by schools in all fifty states and now offers early childhood and after school programs. The success of evidence based programs such as CATCH suggest that policies to improve physical activity standards for children, could have the potential to significantly reduce and prevent childhood ...
Students in Modesto, are learning how to live healthy lifestyles thanks to an integrated approach being used in afterschool programs, by the Modesto school district. The integrated model used by the district includes: shared use agreements with community partners, the development of community gardens, and participation in afterschool programs such as the (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) SPARK program. In Modesto, school district administrator John Ervin III, is not only encouraging the implementation of healthy policies in schools, but also a taking a step further to be a positive role model to youth. While Ervin served as an afterschool programs coordinator he gave over 1,800 children the opportunity to participate in SPARK--a curriculum that engages children in ...
Community members living in Tulare County are now able to enjoy activities on school grounds thanks to a shared use agreement at Pixley elementary. Inititally, school officials at Pixley were concerned about liability issues that could arise through enacting a joint-use agreement. After meeting with risk management experts and local residents, the school principal at Pixley elementary School realized that the school was well protected against potential liability lawsuits, and decided to enter into a shared use agreement with the community. Now children, and parents can all benefit from healthier lifestyles, thanks to the recreational facilities they have access to at Pixley elementary. Parent volunteers leading a local ballet folklorico dance group for children found support for their ...
